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Modifiers to Adjectives (Adjective Phrases)

Express how much or to what degree

Number-Noun and Adverb Modifiers

MEASUREMENT MODIFIERS
A specified amount can modify an adjective. The measurement takes the form of a number and a unit that measures dimension. The modifier tells us: How wide? How long? How high? How deep? or How tall?
SUBJ + PREDICATE	ADJECTIVE PHRASE
NP + "be" VERB	NUMBER-NOUN	ADJECTIVE
The bridge towers are	746 feet / 227 meters	tall.
The roadway is	500 feet / 152 meters	high.
The bridge is	8,981 feet / 2,737 meters	long.
The roadway is	90 feet / 27 meters	wide.
The water below is	242 feet / 74 meters	deep.

DEGREE ADVERBS
An adverb can also modify the degree or extent of an adjective. The adverb tells us: How much? To what degree?
SUBJ + PREDICATE	ADJECTIVE PHRASE
NP + "be" VERB	ADVERB	ADJECTIVE
The bridge towers are	very / rather/ pretty	tall.
The roadway is	so / moderately	high.
The bridge is	rather / quite	long.
The roadway is	fairly / adequately	wide.
The water below is	quite / extremely	deep.

With most other adjectives (e.g., shallow, large, big, small, little) specified amounts are not used.
So, very, rather, pretty, quite – emphasize the adjective; fairly, moderately, somewhat – de-emphasize (lessen) the adjective. See Degree Modifiers to Adjectives.

Also see Such Expressions ([such a wide] road).

Modifiers to Adjectives

Measurements—Tall / High

Modifiers to Tall and High

TALL
Tall is used when we see the item touching the ground and extending upward. The measurement is the distance from the ground to the top of the item.
PEOPLE
This man is 170 centimeters tall. He stands 170 cm tall.
OBJECTS
This is a tall window.
PHYSICAL FEATURES
This is a tall rock formation. Used with formations that have a baseline: monoliths such as Half Dome, Meteora, Ayers Rock or Cathedral Rock)
OTHER USES AND EXPRESSIONS
I'd like a tall glass (drinking) of water. A Sequoia is a tall tree. He told a tall tale. (unbelievable story) Mr. Lincoln wore a tall hat.

HIGH
High is used when we see something above us. Usually it is not touching the ground; it is suspended. The measurement is the distance between the ground and the item.
PEOPLE
This man is forty-feet high in the air. (He is at a height of forty feet.) (The parachute soared to a great height.)
OBJECTS
This is a high window.
PHYSICAL FEATURES
This is a high mountain. Used with mountains without a well-defined baseline.
OTHER USES AND EXPRESSIONS
We built a high fence / wall. The water level is high today. Our tax rates are high. The stock market is high.

Modifiers to Adjectives

Measurements—Long / Wide

Modifiers to Long and Wide

LONG
Long is used when we see something in extending horizontally (linear). The measurement is the distance from one end to the other end.
PEOPLE (BABIES)
The baby is twenty-five inches long. (The length of the baby is twenty-five inches.)
OBJECTS
There is a long window in my office. (Long in shape, but also "a high window, a wide window")
RIVERS
The Chicago river is 156 miles long.
PHYSICAL FEATURES
This is a long mountain chain. ( a series of mountains that stretch a long distance on a continent)
FURNITURE
The dining table is 100 centimeters long. long bed, table (dimension)

WIDE
Wideis used to add a second dimiension to long (linear). It is measured from side to side (perpendicular to the length.)
PEOPLE
— (It is not polite to describe a person as "wide".)
OBJECTS
My office window is five-feet wide. (The window has a width of five feet.)
RIVERS
The Amazon is between six and thirty miles wide. The width of the river ranges between six and thirty miles.
PHYSICAL FEATURES
The Grand Canyon ranges from four to eighteen miles wide.
FURNITURE
The side table is sixty-five centimeters wide. wide bed, table (dimension)

Dimension Adjectives

Exceptions

Adjectives that do not take number modifiers

MODIFIER SPECIFIES DIMIENSION
The modifiers below are used with number modifiers to measure the dimensions of something.
DEEP	The river is deep. The river is twelve-feet deep.
HIGH	The wall is rather high. The wall is four-meters high.
TALL	Jack is tall. Jack is 178 centimeters tall.
LONG	The pool is long. The pool is fifty-meters long.
WIDE	The pool is wide. The pool is twenty-feet wide.
OLD	Grandfather is old. Grandfather is sxity-years old.
AROUND	*The tree is around. The tree is ten-meters around.
AWAY	*The beach is away. The beach is ten-miles away.

MODIFIER ONLY
These modifiers are not used to specify dimensions. They are used without number modifiers.
SHALLOW	The river is shallow. *The river is twelve-feet shallow.
LOW	The wall is rather low. *The wall is four-meters low.
SHORT	Jim is short. *Jim is 155 centimeters short.
—	—
NARROW	The bridge is narrow. *The bridge is six-meters narrow.
YOUNG	Grandfather is young. ~Grandfather is sixty-years young.
FAR	The school is far. *The school is ten-miles far.
NEAR	The beach is near. *The beach is two-miles near.

How deep? How high? How shallow? How long? How wide? How big around? How far away? How near?

*not used / ~ used with people as a compliment (not used with inanimate things)

Adjective / Nouns

Colors

Color—adjective vs noun

ASCRIPTIVE BE — ADJECTIVE COMPLEMENTS
A color word is an adjective when it occurs after the verb be and it describes the quality or characteristic of the noun. See Identifying vs. Describing "Be" .
SUBJ	PRED	COMPLEMENT
NP	BE–ASCR	ADJECTIVE
The leaf	is	green. (Adj) new. (Adj)

SPECIFYING BE — NOUN COMPLEMENTS
A color word is a noun when it occurs after the verb be and it identifies the subject noun. Which color is it? It is blue not black.
SUBJ	PRED	COMPLEMENT
NP	BE–SPEC	DEFINITE NOUN / NP
The color	is is	green. (NP) bright green. (Adj–NP)

Modifiers for Colors

NOUN MODIFIER + COLOR
A color can be modified with an item (noun) that naturally occurs with a variation of the color. A noun is modifying a noun. Together they modify a noun. a moss-green color.
It's a moss green color. (N+N—N)
It's a neon green light.
It's a lime green fruit.
It's an emerald green lake.
It's a hunter green hat.

NOUN MODIFIER + COLOR

A color can be modified with an item (noun) that naturally occurs with a variation of the color. A noun is modifying a noun. Together they modify a noun. a moss-green color.

It's a moss green color. (N+N—N)

It's a neon green light.

It's a lime green fruit.

It's an emerald green lake.

It's a hunter green hat.

ADJECTIVE + COLOR
A color can also be modified with other adjectives that indicate intensity, hue or pattern of the color.
It's a light / pale green color. (Adj+N—N)
It's a dark / deep green paint.
It's a yellow / yellowish green paper.
It's a dirty / dusty green wall.
It's striped green wallpaper.

ADJECTIVE + COLOR

A color can also be modified with other adjectives that indicate intensity, hue or pattern of the color.

It's a light / pale green color. (Adj+N—N)

It's a dark / deep green paint.

It's a yellow / yellowish green paper.

It's a dirty / dusty green wall.

It's striped green wallpaper.

Common Mistakes

Errors and Solutions

Error and Solution

ERROR
*The statue is eight-foot high and stands on a two-foot tall pedestal.

ERROR

*The statue is eight-foot high and stands on a two-foot tall pedestal.

SOLUTION
The statue is eight-feet high and stands on a two-foot tall pedestal. Here, "eight-feet modifies the adjective "high". Quantities that modify adjectives may be singular or plural (e.g., eight feet, one foot) depending on the quantity. It is an eight-foot high statue. (modifies the noun "statue") But here, "eight-foot" modifies a noun. Noun modifiers are almost always singular.

SOLUTION

The statue is eight-feet high and stands on a two-foot tall pedestal.

Here, "eight-feet modifies the adjective "high". Quantities that modify adjectives may be singular or plural (e.g., eight feet, one foot) depending on the quantity.

It is an eight-foot high statue. (modifies the noun "statue")

But here, "eight-foot" modifies a noun. Noun modifiers are almost always singular.

*Yellow highlighting indicates example of incorrect usage.

Also see Nouns as Modifiers and Pop-Q – "High"

Practice 1

Scout

Use number modifiers to describe Scout.

Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence.
Compare your response to the feedback by clicking the "check" or "check all" button.

My dog, Scout, is tall.

Feedback 1

Still she can jump high.

Feedback 2

She is only wide.

Feedback 3

Some people thinks it is amazing that a dog can jump so high.

Feedback 4

It's not surprising that a pet eats so little food.

Feedback 5

Practice 2

Tall, High, Long

Complete the sentence with the measurement modifier.

Select the option that best completes the sentence.
Compare your response to the feedback by clicking the "check" or "check all" button.

This kite is very in the sky.

Feedback 6

This ship is

Feedback 7

The basketball player on the left is extremely .

Feedback 8

He can place a basket ball in a hoop ten feet .

Feedback 9

10.

His mattress needs to be extra .

Feedback 10

11.

The tower is quite .

Feedback 11

12.

The San Andreas earthquake fault line is very .

fault (N) – a large crack in the earth's surface

Feedback 12

Practice 3

Colors names from well-known items

Select the color that is goes with the object.

Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence.
Compare your response to the feedback by clicking the "check" or "check all" button.

13.